2018 SC Worlds: Day Four Prelims Live Recap

2018 FINA SHORT COURSE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Tuesday, December 11th- Sunday, December 16th
• Hangzhou, China
• Tennis Centre, Hangzhou Olympic & International Expo Center
• SCM (25m)
• Prelims: 9:30 am local, 8:30 pm ET / Finals: 7:00 pm* local, 6:00* am ET
• *The final night of finals will be one hour earlier, starting at 6:00 pm local and 5:00 am ET
• Live Results (Omega)

MEN’S 50 FREE – SEMIS SWIM-OFF

• WR – Florent Manaudou – 20.26 – 5 DEC 2014
• CR – Florent Manaudou – 20.26 – 5 DEC 2014
• WJ – Kliment Kolesnikov – 21.24 – 13 DEC 2017

1. Pawel Juraszek – 20.98
2. Jesse Puts – 21.08

With a spot in lane 8 for the 50 free finals on the line, The Netherlands’ Jesse Puts and Poland’s Pawel Juraszek faced off after tying for 8th at 21.12 this morning. Ultimately, it was Juraszek at the wall, going 20.98 to make it into the final with Puts a tenth back at 21.08.

MEN’S 4X50 FREE RELAY – PRELIMS

• WR – Russia – 1:22.60 – 6 DEC 2014
• CR – Russia – 1:22.60 – 6 DEC 2014
• WJ – 1:27.46 – BEST TIME

1. Italy – 1:24.10
2. Russia – 1:24.18
3. USA – 1:24.66
4. Australia – 1:24.88
5. South Africa – 1:25.10
6. Belarus – 1:25.49
7. Japan – 1:25.82
8. Germany – 1:26.22

In the first heat, it was Italy just ahead of the Americans, 1:24.10 to 1:24.66. After heat 2, where Russia won in 1:24.18, Italy will lead the way into the final tonight, followed closely by the Russians with the Americans in third.

Australia also dipped under 1:25 with a 1:24.88 to take 4th.

Jack Conger‘s 20.79 was Team USA’s only sub-21 anchor, and it was the quickest split of the field, just behind Italy’s Andrea Vergani and Russia’s Evgeny Sedov (20.80). Russia and Italy had their three men with flying starts split 20-highs, while Australia’s Cameron McEvoy (20.93) and South Africa’s Chad le Clos (20.96) split under 21 for their respective teams.

Brad Tandy (21.16) of South Africa was the quickest lead-off, just ahead of Italy’s Santo Condorelli (21.32) and the USA’s Michael Andrew (21.33).

WOMEN’S 50 BACK – PRELIMS

• WR – Etiene Medeiros – 25.67 – 7 DEC 2014
• CR- Etiene Medeiros – 25.67 – 7 DEC 2014
• WJ – 26.13 – BEST TIME

1. Etiene Medeiros – 26.13
2. Fu Yuanhui – 26.26
3. Olivia Smoliga – 26.41
4. Maaike de Waard – 26.48
5. Caroline Pilhatsch – 26.51
6. Miyuki Takemura – 26.53
7. Georgia Davies/Holly Barratt – 26.56 *TIE*

World record holder Etiene Medeiros of Brazil finished a tenth ahead of the 2nd-best swimmer this morning, clocking a 26.13 to lead the way into the semifinals. She was just ahead of Fu Yuanhui, the Chinese backstroker who was 26.26 for 2nd.

Olivia Smoliga of the U.S. was third-best at 26.41 as she won the final head, with the Netherlands’ Maaike de Waard also under 26.5 at 26.48 for 4th.

Notably, American Kathleen Baker (26.77) and Australian Emily Seebohm (26.81) nearly missed the semis, finishing at 15th and 16th, respectively. Meanwhile, top seed Katinka Hosszu was a scratch.

MEN’S 50 FLY – PRELIMS

• WR – Nicholas Santos – 21.75 – 6 OCT 2018
• CR – Chad le Clos – 21.95 – 6 DEC 2014
• WJ – 22.43 – BEST TIME

1. Nicholas Santos – 22.41
2. Dylan Carter – 22.53
3. Marius Kusch – 22.59
4. Chad le Clos – 22.67
5. Takaya Yasue – 22.78
6. Ryan Coetzee/Mikhail Vekovishchev – 22.79 *TIE*
7. –
8. Yauhen Tsurkin – 22.80

World record holder Nicholas Santos was the 2nd Brazilian in as many events to take the top seed going into semis. Though he was well off of his WR, a 21.75 from the Budapest WC stop this October, Santos was 22.41, over a tenth ahead of the next-best swimmer.

That next-best swimmer was Dylan Carter of Trinidad & Tobago with a 22.53, followed closely by Germany’s Marius Kusch.

Chad le Clos of South Africa posted a 22.67 — he has the meet record, a 21.95 from 2014 in Doha. Le Clos won the 100 fly last night, where Caeleb Dressel touched 2nd, and Dressel ended up scratching this event this morning. American Michael Andrew (22.93) was off of his 22.32 American record, but will move to semis in 11th.

Brazil’s Matheus Santana and Finland’s Riku Poytakivi tied for 16th at 23.08.

UPDATE: Poytakivi threw down a 22.71 to set a new Finnish record and beat Santana to qualify through to the semifinals.

WOMEN’S 400 FREE – PRELIMS

• WR – Wang Jianjiahe – 3:53.97 – 4 OCT 2018
• CR – Mireia Belmonte Garcia – 3:55.76 – 5 DEC 2014
• WJ – Wang Jianjiahe – 3:53.97 – 4 OCT 2018

1. Ariarne Titmus – 3:58.58
2. Leah Smith – 4:00.46
3. Wang Jianjiahe – 4:00.73
4. Li Bingjie – 4:01.82
5. Anna Egorova – 4:02.31
6. Sarah Kohler – 4:02.79
7. Erica Musso – 4:03.37
8. Valeriia Salamatina  – 4:04.51

Australian teenager Ariarne Titmus posted a 3:58.58, just two tenths off of the Australian record. Titmus, the 200 free champ from earlier this meet, looked to have chilled out on the back half of the race and should have more in the tank tonight.

Wang Jianjiahe and Li Bingjie, Chinese teenagers, led the final heat the whole way through, with Wang touching first at 4:00.73 and Li 2nd in 4:01.82. Wang should definitely make it a fantastic race with Titmus tonight — she’s the World Record holder, and much like Titmus, backed off towards the end of the race. Wang, especially, looked particularly easy-going in her swim.

Russians Anna Egorova and Valeriia Salamatina both made it into the final, while Simona Quadarella, the silver medalist in the 800 free last night, ended up in 9th missing the final. Her countrymate Erica Musso will race tonight, though, after her 4:03.37 for 7th.

Boglarka Kapas, the defending European champion, ended up scratching after coming in with the #2 seed.

WOMEN’S 100 BREAST – PRELIMS

• =WR – Alia Atkinson – 1:02.36 – 26 AUG 2016/6 DEC 2014
• =WR – Ruta Meilutyte – 1:02.36 – 12 OCT 2013
• CR – Alia Atkinson – 1:02.36 – 6 DEC 2014
• WJ – 1:02.36 – BEST TIME

1. Katie Meili – 1:03.76
2. Alia Atkinson – 1:04.34
3. Martina Carraro/Fanny Lecluyse – 1:05.06 *TIE*
5. Shi Jinglin/Arianna Castiglioni – 1:05.24 *TIE*
6. –
7. Jessica Hansen – 1:05.33
8. Jenna Laukkanen – 1:05.38

American Katie Meili looked strong with a win in the final heat this morning, going 1:03.76, about eight tenths off of her own American record in this event. Nobody else was under 1:04, although Alia Atkinson posted a 1:04.34 to grab 2nd as the only other finisher under 1:05.

Tying for third this morning were Italy’s Martina Carraro and Belgium’s Fanny Lecluyse at 1:05.06, with China’s Shi Jinglin and Italy’s Arianna Castiglioni also tying at 1:05.24 for 5th.

WR holder Ruta Meilutyte was 1:06.20, just getting through at 15th.

MEN’S 4×200 FREE RELAY – PRELIMS

• WR – Russia – 6:49.04 – 16 DEC 2010
• CR – Russia – 6:49.04 – 16 DEC 2010
• WJ – 6:59.66 – BEST TIME

1. Russia – 6:51.17
2. United States – 6:52.81
3. Italy – 6:55.97
4. China – 6:58.08
5. Australia – 6:57.74
6. Brazil – 6:58.26
7. Sweden – 6:59.91
8. Portugal – 7:02.19

Russia won heat 2 in a landslide victory, going 6:51.17 to finish just two seconds outside of their World Record from all the way back in 2010. The Russians had the two fastest splits in the field, a 1:42.26 anchor from Aleksandr Krasnykh and a 1:42.31 from Ivan Girev.

Meanwhile, heat 1 was much closer, with Lithuania getting out to a huge lead courtesy of Danas Rapsys. Rapsys was 1:40.95, just off of his national record and faster than Blake Pieroni was to win the 200 free individual title on night 2, but Lithuania faltered and wound up 10th overall. For his part, Rapsys broke Park Tae Hwan’s championship record of 1:41.03.

Later on, it became a battle between the U.S., Italy, and China, with the Americans ultimately prevailing with a 6:52.81. Italy was 6:55.97 for 2nd, and China 3rd in 6:56.08. The Americans had the third-best split in the field, courtesy of anchor Zach Harting at 1:42.68, while Kieran Smith (1:43.30) had one of the quickest swims going out. Smith moves to #7 all-time for American performers, just behind Michael Phelps’ 1:42.78.